1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic paper feeder which can be mounted on an image processing apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile, or an original image reader. More particularly, the present invention relates to an automatic document feeder for automatically conveying originals to be read by an image processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A copying machine is taken as an example. An automatic document feeder mounted on the main body of the copying machine has been conventionally known. There exist automatic document feeders of various types and in various shapes. When the automatic document feeder is arranged on the main body of the copying machine, the automatic document feeder has been recently designed so that the width and the depth thereof fall in the ranges of the width and the depth of the main body of the copying machine, that is, it is not projected rightward and leftward or backward or forward from the main body of the copying machine.
FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing one example of a conventional automatic document feeder for a copying machine, which is viewed from the front. An automatic document feeder 92 mounted on the upper surface of the main body 91 of the copying machine is caused to have such a shape that the width and the depth thereof fall in the width and the depth of the main body 91 of the copying machine. Therefore, the upper surface in the center of the automatic document feeder 92 is taken as an original set surface 93. Originals set on the original set surface 93 are taken in from an inlet port 94 on the left side, are rotated in the reverse direction through an angle of 180.degree., and are sent onto an original glass plate 95 provided on the upper surface of the main body 91 of the copying machine. The contents of the originals are read in this state, and copies of the originals are made in the main body 91 of the copying machine. Thereafter, the originals on the original glass plate 95 are moved rightward, are rotated in the reverse direction through an angle of 180.degree., and are discharged onto a tray 97 from a discharge port 96 on the right side. The tray 97 extends obliquely up to a space above the original set surface 93 with its lower end mounted in the vicinity of a left end of the original set surface 93. By thus arranging the tray 97, the space above the original set surface 93 is effectively utilized, and the tray 97 is not projected outward from the main body 91 of the copying machine.
When an attempt to set originals of large size, for example, A3 size in Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) (hereinafter referred to as "JIS A3 size") on the original set surface 93 is made, the tray 97 extending to the space above the original set surface 93 interferes with the setting.
In such a case, the originals have been set on the original set surface 93 after the tray 97 is manually raised almost perpendicularly, as indicated by a broken line, so as not to interfere with the setting in the conventional automatic document feeder. Further, the tray 97 is returned to the original oblique state after the originals are set.
The automatic document feeder 92 is mounted on the upper surface of the main body 91 of the copying machine and its front side can be opened upward with its opposite side as a fulcrum, therefore, the originals can be manually set on the original glass plate 95.
In a case where the originals are manually set on the original glass plate 95 in a state where the tray 97 in the automatic document feeder 92 is almost perpendicularly raised, when the automatic document feeder 92 is opened upward in this state, the tray 97 is projected toward a space behind the main body 91 of the copying machine. When there is a wall or the like in the space behind the main body 91 of the copying machine, therefore, the tray 97 collides with the wall.